Cellular effects of long wavelength UV light (UVA) in mammalian cells

Abstract

UVA should receive significant consideration as a human health risk as it is a large proportion of the solar spectrum that reaches the earth's surface and because of its ability to penetrate human skin. It is only relatively recently that this has been recognized and this previously under-researched part of the UV spectrum is becoming increasingly well characterized at doses that are quite low in relation to those experienced by humans. Absorption of UVA in a cell leads to the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that can damage major biomolecules including DNA and membrane lipids. Various types of damage induced in these molecules lead to significant biological effects including cytotoxicity, mutations and alterations in cell signalling pathways. Longer-term effects such as persistent genomic instability and bystander effects have also been observed following UVA treatment of mammalian cells and, as with ionizing radiation, this changes some of the fundamental thinking around tissue effects of irradiation. Antioxidants have been assessed extensively for their ability to protect against the biological effects of UVA and a number have been shown to be successful at least in-vitro, for example vitamin E and epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Other potential targets for protection are suggested through the increased understanding of some of the signalling mechanisms activated following treatment, for example the inhibition of NADPH oxidase is seen to reduce a bystander effect. The search for appropriate and successful photoprotective agents remains an important area of research.

Sea ice protects the embryos of the Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri from oxidative damage due to naturally enhanced levels of UV-B radiation

“…Although studies have shown that the UV-A portion of the spectrum can cause oxidative damage in animal cells (McMillan et al, 2008), studies on marine animals have provided mixed results, with some studies demonstrating negative effects (Adams and Schick, 1996; Karentz et al, 2004) whereas others showed little effect at all (Béland et al, 1999;Kouwenberg et al, 1999). In the present study no significant effects due to exposure to UV-A radiation were observed.…”

Suppression of Melanin Production by Expression of HSP70

“…Of these, most UVC can be absorbed by the ozone layer. Although the cell-damaging effect of UVA is relatively weak, UVA seems to play an important role in photo-aging because its content in solar UV is higher than UVB and UVC (3)(4)(5). Furthermore, UVB seems to also play the central role in photo-aging (6).…”

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“…The bulk of mitochondrial ROS is generated at the electron transport chain 49,50 . Electrons leak from the electron transport chain directly to oxygen, producing short-lived free radicals such as superoxide anion(O 2 − ) 51 56,57 .…”